Register research data in the University’s data registry

The registry and how to use it

Umeå University’s research data registry works as a form you fill in to register your project and you describe data using metadata (such as, information about what the data include and their origin).

View the registry as a directory with information about research data and where it is stored. However, you do not store the actual data in the registry; your department is responsible for storing your material in a suitable location or digital storage system.

Good to know

• There is no cost associated with registering data through the research data form.
• To access the form, you need to have a UMU ID and log in with your VPN even if you are using the campus network.
• Once you have created a registry entry, you can edit your entry and add datasets. You can also invite guest editors to update information.
• When no more data need to be updated or changed, review and archive the project with or without write protection. Data only become searchable in the E-archive after they have been archived.

The benefit of the research data registry

One point of the registry is to make research data more accessible to other researchers and stakeholders. The registry makes it easier for researchers and departments to follow the FAIR principles of contributing to open science. Central to complying with FAIR data is making available descriptions of data (metadata) so that they are searchable and machine-readable. Read more about FAIR.

The registry allows departments and archival staff to track what research data is produced. This, in turn, helps when deciding whether to delete data.

Storing data

You store the research material from your research project on a storage site. In the registry, you indicate where you have stored this material. Contact the archive coordinator at your department for support on how to store data or read more about retaining data and finding software for data storage.

Archiving and retaining data

Research data are public documents requiring archival at Umeå University.

Software for collaboration and data storage

How to store data securely and collaborate on them with others.

Searching for data from other researchers

The data you or other researchers register is stored in the University’s E-archive as soon as the registry entry has been archived. Contact the University’s archival staff at universitetsarkiv@umu.se or contact the archive coordinator at your department to search for information in the registry.